This Country Profile provides a basic overview of the legal history and institutional structures of the Kyrgyz Republic/Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyz Respublikasy), based on research produced by GlobaLex at NYU Law School and the Library of Congress. Under Kyrgyzstan's Constitution, Islamic law (sharīʿa or fiqh) has no legal status.
Country Background
Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked country located in Central Asia. It is bounded by Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and China. The capital of Kyrgyzstan is Bishkek. The official languages are Kyrgyz and Russian. The country’s population in 2017 was approximately 5.8 million. Kyrgyzstan is a secular country with no official religion. The population of Kyrgyzstan is predominantly Muslim, with about 75% of the population Muslim and 20% Christian. Kyrgyzstan is a member state of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.
Constitution & Legal Structure
After declaring independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Kyrgyzstan adopted its 1993 Constitution. This Constitution was replaced in 2010 through a referendum that changed Kyrgyzstan from a presidential republic to a parliamentary republic, in which sovereignty belongs to the people and the Constitution is the supreme law of the land. The system of government is based on principles of separation and checks and balances and has three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. The executive branch includes a supreme chancellor, a vice chair, and cabinet members. The legislative branch is currently a unicameral parliament. The judicial branch is comprised of a supreme court, appeals court, local courts, and a chief prosecutor. While previously there was a military court, it was abolished in 2016.
The legal system of Kyrgyzstan is a civil law system, which includes features of French civil law and Russian law. In 2002, the authority of adat, local customary law consisting of traditional prescriptions of the people of the region, was restored by the Law on Courts of Aksakals. However, the institution plays a rather small and complementary role to the courts of law, and is limited to local level disputes, often those of personal status.
Constitutional Status of Islamic Law
Islamic law has no constitutional status in Kyrgyzstan.
Jurisdiction(s) of Islamic Law
Islamic law has no official jurisdiction of operation in Kyrgyzstan.
Dominant School of Islamic Law
Kyrgyzstan has no official school of Islamic law. The vast majority of the Muslim population in the country is Sunnī (adhering to the Ḥanafī school).
Sources of Law for Legal Research
Official Publications
Unofficial Databases
References:
For an extended list of legal resources for this country, see the Library of Congress’s Research Guide, and for a narrative review, see the GlobaLex Foreign Law Research Guide (most updated version, where available). The Constitution is available in the LOC Guide in its original language and at Constitute in English translation. For full versions of past constitutions, amendments, and related legislation, see HeinOnline World Constitutions Illustrated or Oxford Constitutions of the World [subscription required for each].